Rheumatoid Arthritis and Snow

I don't think I've mentioned on my blog before, but I was diagnosed with seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis about ten years ago. In the beginning I was literally crippled by it, unable to walk and pretty much housebound. But thanks to a little magic pill called Plaquenil, I steadily got my life back to something resembling normal. However, RA is unpredictable and flares of varying degrees are a common feature.

I had my right hip replaced six years ago when it had got so bad it was bone on bone, but I'd never had a problem with my knees until three years ago. Since then every winter has produced a painful and debilitating flare in and around my knee, mainly affecting the left one, but with some right sided involvement. It's not just the joint that's affected, but the whole supporting structure of tendons.

The reason I'm posting this is because I think there may be a definite link with the snow, or at least the cold. I've read that the body is like a barometer, and it has certainly been my experience that air pressure and damp affects my joints, but this snow thing has only just dawned on me. The last three winters have been harsh, with heavy snow fall, and I'm wondering if there is a connection. Whether my current flare in my left knee is down to the cold or the effect walking on a slippery surface has had upon my joints and tendons, I'm unsure. What I do know is I change the way I walk when trying to remain upright. Maybe that placed undue strain on the supporting structure of the knee?

This latest flare came on surprisingly abruptly, in fact I've never before experienced any flare develop quite so rapidly. I woke in the morning three days back, felt absolutely fine, showered, got dressed, then sat at my dressing table drying my hair. When I'd finished, I walked out of my bedroom to go downstairs, and that's when it struck. I suddenly felt a pain in my knee and as I struggled to walk down the stairs, easing myself down one step at a time, it swiftly spread throughout my knee, from left to right going via the tendons at the back of the knee. By the time I reached the kitchen I was hobbling around holding on to the worktops.

The knee is now swollen and warm to the touch and very painful, often disturbing my sleep during the night. My ankles are also swollen as evidenced by the deep rings in the evening where the tops of my socks have sunk into the flesh. Clearly there is no way I will be venturing out on the sheet ice that now covers the footpath. I doubt I'd be able to get out and about even if it wasn't icy.

I haven't been this bad in a long time, but I know from experience that physio is a waste of time, and if anything only exacerbates the pain and delays the healing. I've learnt that all I can do is rest and continue with my medication with the addition of some anti inflammatory cream rubbed into the area, and wait until the flare subsides. This may take days, weeks or months, I have no way of knowing how long it will take. But I'm also mindful that I need to keep moving whilst not putting undue strain on the joint. I usually manage this by daily walks with my dog Bailey. Just a gentle stroll around the woods. But that isn't going to be possible with the present icy conditions.

I hate feeling trapped at home. But I'm not here to moan, that doesn't help my mood at all, and stressing out doesn't help the RA to recede. I'd rather just accept it and work with it than against it. So I've been putting my enforced rest to good use by practicing some new jewellery techniques. All this wire wrapping is playing havoc with my thumb joints, but at least my knee is rested! It takes me a good while to get going when I've been sat still though. I'm trying to maintain a balance between resting and not sitting so long that I seize up. So I'm pottering around doing what I can here and there.

The only worry I have is that Bailey isn't going for his daily trek around the woods. Poor little lad is looking really fed up. I can't even get down on the floor to play with him. I've considered hiring a dog walker just so he can get some exercise. My days fly by as there's always something for me to occupy myself with, but he just lies in his bed sighing and wanting my attention. In many ways he's a very intelligent dog. I just wish I could get him to understand that I love him more than life itself, but at the moment I can't walk. It breaks my heart to see him looking so fed up. :(

Festive Banner

The snow has put me in a festive mood, so I've designed a new banner for my Etsy shop.


I started by creating a pale grey marbled background and added snowy dots all over it. I didn't want it to be too Christmassy being mindful that not everyone celebrates Christmas, but I couldn't resist topping the C of Chameleonite with Santa's hat. I was quite pleased with how restrained I managed to be because my original design had a couple of Christmas trees and sprig of holly. But it didn't reflect my shop or say anything about what I sold, so I finally decided on one of my scarlet polymer clay roses placed at either end. Not very Christmassy, but such lovely festive colours!

You can see the scarlet rose incorporated into my designs in the side bar on the right. Details of the necklace can be found here, and matching earrings here.

Temptation

I was listening to a debate on obesity in the House of Commons, and someone commented that it's not choices or lack of them that is the problem; the problem is we eat from habit and copy the behaviour of our friends and peers.

It suddenly struck me how much that applies to me. I'm very tempted by suggestion, be it from a friend, a conversation, a cookery programme or something I've read. I never realised until now just how easily I am led. For someone who tends to be a leader rather than a follower I find that quite shocking. Maybe I'm becoming more compliant in my old age, or lazy, or just couldn't care less!

When younger, I never tried drugs... still haven't; I just never saw the point in them. I rarely drank alcohol, and I trusted my own judgement about what was good or bad for me. But as I've got older I find myself acting on the merest hint of suggestion.

I can no longer watch cookery programmes on TV because if I see a dish that looks delicious, I just have to make it. If I'm on a diet, I might resist the temptation for a week or so, but inevitably I will eventually give in, and armed with my shopping list, will go to buy the ingredients. The thing is, more often than not I'm disappointed with my endeavors, the thought of the food far more appealing than the actual result.

The same can be said of talking to friends and family or chatting on forums. If someone says they are eating such and such for dinner, I think... oooh I haven't had that for ages. Or if never having tried that particular food/meal I suddenly develop an insatiable desire to try it.

The internet is a dangerous place for the unwary, and I'm not talking phishing, viruses, spammers and stalkers. I'm talking about that most dangerous of subjects, cake! I never used to eat cake until I joined one forum, and now find myself adding it to my shopping list with gay abandon, simply because it's constantly referred to. Likewise with alcohol; I used to drink a glass or two of wine at weekends. But chatting on line in the evenings, the drinking habits of others have somehow become my drinking habits, and pouring a glass or two of wine every night of the week soon became the norm.

I've always been wary of becoming a regular drinker, but drinking wine in the evening seems to be the norm for many people, and so it has become acceptable practice. We copy the behaviour of others, because if enough of them are doing it then it must surely be OK, mustn't it?

How easily the habits of others become our own. The recent snow has meant ordering my shopping online from Tesco. Clicking on my "favourites" made for shocking reading! There was all manner of unhealthy fayre on there, from cakes and bakery products, to chocolate, ready meals and wine. Many items I would never have previously noticed on the shelves, let alone bought. They looked oddly out of place scattered amongst the familiar brands I'd bought for years; aliens in a foreign land. It's enough of a surprise to see Tesco recommended products at the top of each section of my favourites, and unsettling if my particular brand is out of stock to see a similar unfamiliar alternative underneath. But these aliens were in my favourites because I put them there!

Can a remark or a suggestion from a complete stranger on a forum really have such an impact on my eating and drinking habits? Or am I just incredibly weak? I don't think it's just a question of weakness, although undoubtedly that does come in to it. I suppose it works very much the same way as advertising, or product placement on shelves. Or as in the case of Tesco, adding an item to the top of each section in my favourites; muscling in on my subconscious!

So, having acknowledged to myself how easily led I am, I've been through all my favourites on the Tesco web site and deleted anything that isn't what I would normally buy. Everything that is, except for Tesco's own suggestions, because annoyingly, they don't provide the facility to delete them! Drinking wine is now back to being a weekend only treat, out go the cakes, and there's to be no more baking... something that until recently I hadn't done for years.

I've also written a little memo to myself on a bright pink post it note and stuck it on my laptop so it's always there to remind me...

*Don't do as others do, do what is best for you!*

Christmas Round Up

I've had a lovely, relaxed and peaceful Christmas. We've had quite a lot of snow so I haven't used the car since last Friday. The steep hill leading up from our close to the main road is like an ice rink and I've seen too many cars skidding all over the road to even attempt it. So Bailey's daily walks have been limited to the green at the top of the road.

But today the footpaths aren't even safe to walk on, so the poor lad has only been in the garden. It has rained a little tonight, so I'm hoping it will help to melt the ice. My son very kindly did the food shopping at 7.00am on Christmas eve morning... he caught the bus there and back, so I really have had a lovely stress free break.

Snowy garden


Christmas tree and fireplace garland


Sepia Christmas


As far as my jewellery is concerned I haven't been very productive lately, but here's a necklace I made recently:

Lemon Sorbet Vintage Lily Pendant


I made these earrings today. Not very festive, and more reminiscent of balmy summer days by the sea. But I figured if exotic holiday adverts are shown on Boxing day, then why not. Anyway I have customers in Australia to think about!

Ocean Drops



Happy New Year to Everyone! xx